Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass (TWO VOLUME SET), 1946 🐰🍄📚

This is a rare, coordinated two-volume set of Lewis Carroll's complete Alice stories, published by Random House.

The set is a top-shelf illustrated classic, appealing to collectors of Golden Age children's literature and sophisticated mid-century book design.

Its value is secured by its presentation in a special 1946 edition featuring the iconic John Tenniel illustrations newly colored by Fritz Kredel, creating a powerful Aesthetic Premium.

2. About the Artwork/Book/Object 📖✍️✨ This set comprises Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There. The narratives are canonical works of literary nonsense, exploring logic, language, and imagination.

The set's artistic distinction lies in its illustrations: it features the original wood-engraved images by Sir John Tenniel, which have been colored by Fritz Kredel. Each volume is bound in coordinated patterned paper with contrasting red and blue spines and features a unique pasted-down color plate on the cover . The entire set is housed in its original slipcase (book sleeve), which preserves the aesthetic integrity of the special edition.

3. About the Artist/Author/Maker ✍️🏛️ Lewis Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, 1832–1898) was a British author, mathematician, and logician whose Alice books are revered for their brilliant subversion of Victorian societal rules. His work is a foundational text of modern children's literature.

The colorist, Fritz Kredel (1900–1973), was a distinguished German-American illustrator and graphic designer known for his sophisticated color work on classic texts. The publisher, Random House, was a leader in producing high-quality, lavishly illustrated editions of classics in the mid-20th century.

4. Historical/Political Era Context 🌍🕰️📜 This Special Edition was published in 1946, immediately after the end of World War II. The publication reflects a cultural pivot in America: the end of wartime rationing and the beginning of the Post-War Boom.

Publishers responded to this new era of prosperity with a surge of high-quality, visually rich books, signifying a return to peacetime elegance and consumer luxury. The set, with its multiple bindings, color plates, and slipcase, is a tangible record of the American publishing industry's return to elaborate production after years of resource scarcity.

5. The Ideal Collector 💡🧐🏛️ This set is an essential acquisition for a curator of Illustrated Children's Classics and Mid-Century American Book Design.

It is ideally suited for a collector who specializes in Random House Special Editions and Fritz Kredel’s illustrative work. The set's aesthetic cohesion and pristine condition ensure it belongs in a collection that prioritizes the union of literary canon and graphic design history.

6. Value & Rarity 💎✨🏛️ This is a Special Edition two-volume set. The books are approximately 79 years old.

Its scarcity is moderate due to its special edition status, but the value is significantly elevated by its Aesthetic Premium. The coordinated patterned paper covers, the contrasting cloth spines, and the Fritz Kredel color plates make the set a highly visually appealing collectible . The inclusion of the original slipcase further secures its investment value.

7. Condition 🔎📚✨ The physical condition has been assessed directly from the provided high-resolution photography. The set is deemed to be in Very Good Vintage Condition.

• Bindings: Both volumes are bound in original paper-covered boards with patterned diagonal stripes and pasted-down color plates .

• Spines: Spines are blue and red cloth with gilt titling, fully intact.

• Slipcase: The original tan slipcase is present and shows light wear .

• Illustrations: Contains intact John Tenniel illustrations newly colored by Fritz Kredel.

• Wear: Covers and slipcase show light rubbing and darkening at the edges consistent with age.

• Text Block: Text blocks are secure and clean.

8. Fun Facts & Unique Features 🤓📜🤩

• The New Color: The decision to color the original Sir John Tenniel black-and-white woodcuts was a major publishing event designed to introduce Alice to a new generation of readers.

• The Mathematical Author: Lewis Carroll was a lecturer in Mathematics at Christ Church, Oxford, and the Alice novels are famously filled with logical and mathematical puns.

• The Special Edition: The designation "Special edition, published by Random House, Inc., 1946" confirms this set was released as a high-quality gift item.

• Literary Nonsense: Carroll's unique contribution to literature was his creation of the genre of literary nonsense, where logic and language are systematically subverted for profound effect.

9. Supporting Information 🏷️📦💰

• Object Type: Two-Volume Illustrated Set (Children's Classic)

• Author: Lewis Carroll

• Title: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass

• Year/Period: 1946 (Publication)

• Publisher: Random House, Inc.

• Place of Origin: New York

• Format/Binding: Cloth-backed Patterned Boards in Original Slipcase

• Illustrator/Colorist: Sir John Tenniel (Illustrator), Fritz Kredel (Colorist)

• Edition/Rarity: Special Edition (Illustrated Gift Set)

• Transcription of Markings (Copyright Page): Special edition, published by Random House, Inc., 1946 MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA